Did you wake up this morning to a slight chill in the air? Perhaps you spotted a lone leaf falling from a tree and received your first targeted Halloween ad on Instagram?
And so, you headed to your local Starbucks and discovered that, yes, it’s time: The fall drinks are back.
The international chain, which released its fall lineup on August 25, announced a staggering 14 new and returning drinks for the season, including pumpkin, pecan, and banana-bread flavors, plus a new take on chai that it’s calling “Chaider.”
So, I tried all of them.
Fall is a big time for Starbucks. Last year, after the seasonal drinks were released, CEO Brian Niccol said the pumpkin spice latte helped “deliver a record-breaking sales week across our US company-operated stores” and led to the brand’s biggest Tuesday ever, amid efforts to turn the business around after declining sales over the last few years.
While we don’t yet know how PSL Day fared this year, we do know that things are generally looking better in 2026. The company’s Q3 report, released in July, showed that same-store sales were up 7.9% around the world and 175 net new stores opened during the quarter.
But we know why you’re here: to see if the drinks are actually any good. The verdict? Some of them are.
I ranked all 14 drinks from worst to best. Here’s how they stack up.
Business Insider reached out to Starbucks for comment on this story.
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